Wi-Fi Persists With Steady Evolution

Wi-Fi has become a staple technology in Australia. Sean Casey, business development manager of Intel Customer Solutions Group, considers the country a mature market, considering the uptake of the technology among consumers and businesses. Casey said the integration of a functional standard into handheld devices and laptops is driving the popularity of Wi-Fi.

Part of the appeal of Wi-Fi is that it provides a cheap way to access the Internet. But widespread commercial deployment, according to Paul Budde of communication consultancy BuddeComm, will take two to three years. The answer could be in the hands of resellers. Casey said resellers need to see that “wireless is where the market is going and resellers have to go and play in this area to service consumer and enterprise demand.” He believes SMEs represent a large market as “these firms don’t have IT departments — it is difficult for them to get to grips with Wi-Fi, but resellers can come in and add value on a consulting basis.”

Jim Kellett, product manager at Internode, is confident that WiFi will have a bright future ahead in Australia. Bjorn Landfeldt, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney and a member of Smart Internet research, agreed with Kellett’s view. “Wi-Fi is definitely going to be one of the fundamental components in building infrastructure in the future. A lot of major players are interested in ensuring the technology is of a high standard.”
Via [crn.com.au]